Hydraulic donkey-engine



Pdtentd May 18, 1920.

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HYDRAULIC DONKEY ENGINE.

AIPLICAHON FILED MAR. H, I9I9. I

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F. E. KENNEY. HYDRAULIC DONKEY ENGINE. APPLICATION FILED MAR. II, I9l 9.

Patented Ma is, 1920.

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FRANK E. KENNEY, or PORTLAND, onE'GoN.

HYDRAULIC DON KEY-ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 18, 1920.

Application filed March 11, 1919. Serial No. 281,906.

.To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK E. KENNEY, a citizen of the United States, and resident of the city of Portland, county of Multnomah, and State of Oregon, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hydraulic Donkey-Engines, of which the following is a specification.

My device relates to mechanisms which are intended for exerting heavy pulls through the medium of a cable or chain and has been particularly designed for such heavy work as pulling logs and the like. It is, of course, adapted for any use which requires the exertion of a heavy pull through a cable or chain and while it will be herein described as employed in pulling logs, it is to be understood that the work to which it is applied is not the essential feature of the invention, but rather the construction of the device.

The object of this invention is to produce an apparatus of this kind which is capable of exerting an unusually heavy pull upon a cable, and for this purpose to employ a hydraulic engine and storage tanks together with a pump which gives the required pressure to the liquid used.

The features of myinvention which I deem to be new and upon which I desire to obtain patent protection, will be hereinafter described and then pointed out in detail in the specifications.

In the accompanying drawings, I have shown my invention in its preferred form of construction.

Figure 1 shows in perspective the entire assembled mechanism.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the same mechanism.

Fig.4 is a cross section taken through the storage and the receitfiig tanks.

Fig. 5 is a section taken lengthwise through the cylinder and valve of one of the i ifnoving. Th s, concentrates the movement,

of the engine cylinders.

In the drawing, 1 represents a drum upon which the cable or chain is wound and 10 represents a second drum or head which may be used, if desired, for occasional application of a rope thereto for minor operations. This latter drum is of the nature of what is commonly referred to 'as' a gypsy or capstan head.

The drum 1 is herein shown as turned through the means of a gear 11, which is seof transmitting the power to this drum is to a certain extent immaterial. Any of the well-known means employed for such purposes may be employed in this case.

To turn the power shaft 13, I employ a hydraulic engine, this consisting, as herein shown, of two cylinders 2 which are nected through the medium of the fiscal cross head 21 and connecting rod 22 with crank disks 20 secured to the shaft 13. These engines are connected to the shaft at points at right angles to each other, after the usual practice.

The cylinder 2 is provided with ports 23, by which the fluid is admitted to and discharged from the cylinder. It is also provided with a discharge port 24:, all this being of usual or any suitable type of construction. These ports connect with a valve chamber 3 in which is placed a piston va ve.

This valve consists of two piston portions 30 which are mounted upon a shaft 31 and secured in place thereon, by means of nuts 32 at each side of the piston. In this manner the relative position of the two pistons 30 may be-adjusted to bring them closer together or to separate them as may be desired, in order to set the valve to secure just the operation desired.

The valves are shown as operated through the means of a lever 33 which is pivoted at 34 and which is connected with a pin 35, carried by the crosshead 21. Both ends of the lever 33 are provided with slots,

as 36, so as to slide over the pins by which said lever is connected respectively with the crosshead and the valve rod.

The valve rod 31 is also shown as provided with a X slot 37, so as o secure a pause inthe movevJnent of the valve while thepiston 25 is still nected by two pipes 41 with each of the cy inders 2 of the engine. The cylinders of the engines are connected by two pipes 42 with the low pressure tank 40.

The operating fluid is drawn from the receiving or low pressure tank 40 through a pipe 43 and discharged into the high pressure tank 4 through a pipe 44 by means of a pump 5 which is shown as located between the two tanks 4 and 40. This pump may be of any suitable type of construction, as may also the means by which it is operated. The type of pump illustrated is an ordinary reciprocating triple pump. The means of operating this as illustrated, consists of an engine 6, the same as illustrated being an oil engine which is connected through the medium of a sprocket chain with the pump 5.

The two tanks 4 and 40 are connected through a relief or overflow pipe 7 which has therein a relief valve 70, said valve being of'the type which is set to close for all differences of pressure at the two sides thereof less than a certain figure and. to open so as to permit flow of the fluid whenever the pressure exceeds this difference. By its use the pressure in the tank 4 can never exceed a certain amount, even if the power of the engine and the pump be suflicient to increase this pressure. \Vhenever, for any cause, the pressure in the tank 4 rises to or tends to exceed this pressure, a certain amount of the fluid will flow back into the low pressure or receiving tank 40.

In Fig. 2, I have shown in one of the tanks a yielding device which, to a'certain extent, will compensate for sudden calls upon the tank which may be in excess of the delivery capacity of the pump 5. This consists in mounting a head 8 within the tank, said head functioning as 'a piston. This head is held up against the mass of liquid in the tank, through the action of springs 80 which are placed between this piston and one head of the tank. The extent of movement which may be secured in this manner is limited by bolts 81, which extend through this piston head and are anchored to the head of the tank. In case it be desired to draw the liquid from a high pressure tank, at a rate in excess of the delivery capacity of the pump, this piston will move forward and make it possible to secure this over draft upon the high pressure tank to a limited extent. It also serves, by being forced backward, to take care of a surplus delivery capacity of the pump to a limited extent.

With a device of this kind, high pressures in the tanks may be employed. This makes it possible for the engine to exert a very much greater power on the drum than could be obtained with the same apparatus if steam pressure were employed. Furthermore, it is safer than steam pressure would be, because there is no danger of any explosion. The fluid used for producing the power is at all times maintained in a liquid form and therefore has no expansive quality of the sort which is inherent in steam and which produces dangerous explosions. In

consequence, an apparatus of this sort be operated so as to secure a very high pulling capacity.

Furthermore it makes it possible to use an internal combustion engine to advantage, as the storage tank forms an equalizer between the engine and the drum, so that there is no danger of stalling this engine when making a slow and heavy pull. Further, the pump and the fluid through which the power is applied, forms a simple and eflicient speed reducing mechanism and it is thus possible to use a small and high pressure engine on slow and heavy work.

For convenience in mounting this so it may be transported from place to place, I have shown it mounted upon a platform 9, which is provided with runners analogous to sled runners, by which it may be dragged over the ground as desired. This platform serves as a piece to hold all the parts in proper relation.

WVhat I claim as my invention is:

1. A drum operating mechanism comprising a fluid pressure actuated engine for turn-.

ing the drum, a fluid storage tank for sup- .plying said engine, a fluid tank receiving the discharge from said engine, a pump drawing its fluid from the latter tank and discharging it into the former tank, compensating means within said storage chamber for main taining fluid pressure therein when such fluid is drawn into the engine cylinders in excess of the delivery capacity thereto, and a connection between said tanks containing a relief valve opened by excess pressure in the pressure tank.

2. A drum actuating mechanism comprising a hydraulic engine having cylinders and reciprocating pistons therein, a pressure storage tank having supply connection with the said engine, a piston fitting in said tank, springs acting upon said piston in opposition to the pressure of the liquid therein to compensate for the increased discharge of liquid into the engine cylinder in excess of the delivery capacity thereto, a tank receiving the liquid discharged from the engine, and a pump drawing from said latter tank and discharging into the former tank.

Signed at Portland, Oregon, this 28th day of February, 1919.

FRANK E. KENNE Y. 

